The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a function of performing reboot processing.
An image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, or a facsimile machine incorporates various constituent elements such as those that govern software-implemented operations, such as image processing and data communication, and those that govern hardware-implemented operation, such as the control of motors, clutches, and heaters. On the other hand, in an image forming apparatus, an error can occur that prevents proper operation of the individual constituent elements.
One example of errors that can occur in an image forming apparatus is a video underrun error. In an image forming apparatus, where complicated programs are run and a large amount of data has to be processed, the data bus is used at a considerably high rate. This may cause a delay when, in the image forming apparatus, data obtained through image processing by, for example, an image processing portion is stored in a storage portion or the like. As a result, image data for printing cannot be prepared in time, resulting in a video underrun error. Inconveniently, this may make it impossible for the image forming apparatus to complete a job that has to be completed and then proceed to perform the next job.
In this connection, an image forming apparatus is known that is provided with a means for detecting, out of faults that are likely to be recovered from by turning the power OFF and then ON, those that can be dealt with by rebooting and a means for rebooting the hardware resources and the program for image formation processing. In this image forming apparatus, when an error occurs that prevents continuation of proper operation of the individual hardware resources (constituent elements), the entire image forming apparatus is rebooted to recover from the error and restore normal operation. Thus, this image forming apparatus can reboot itself automatically and properly without requiring any operation by the user.